Simple
by Whatyoubringtoit
Summary: Their relationship is anything but simple, but then it is.
1. Chapter 1

Hiya : ). So this is a chapter from a story I wrote under my other username, and I thought I would try to pick up the story from here. Maybe it will be a collection of random moments, or maybe it will be an actual chronological story. I'm not sure yet.

Obviously, I do not own Scandal or any of these wonderful characters.

* * *

(6 months after the season 1 finale)

"Guys, we need to wrap this up!" Olivia said to her team who were seated around the table in their office, staring attentively at her. "If we do not figure out who the real embezzler was at Marks&Reed, Mr. Boone is going to go to jail for a long time for a crime he didn't commit. We are not going to let that happen, understand?"

Her team nodded at her as she barked out orders. Lately, they seemed a little weary of Olivia. She had them working nonstop. They would take on five cases at a time without voting on them, and Olivia was constantly working. They were all worried about her, but she had put up a barrier that they couldn't break down. So they just did what she told them to, and tried to support her anyway they could.

As they all received their assignments and filed out of the conference room, Stephen stopped in front of her. Olivia looked up at him, her dark eyes expressionless. He put his hands on her shoulders and squeezed them slightly.

"Happy Birthday, Liv," he said with a small smile.

Olivia cracked a little smile in reply and nodded her head, "Thanks Stephen."

"I am going to come by later with a pizza from that place in Georgetown we used to go to all the time in college and some wine. Does 8 work? And don't you dare say no—there is no way we are not celebrating your birthday. I know that these last six months have been hard for you, but Liv, you have to keep living your life. You have to enjoy your life."

Olivia looked down at her hands and nodded again, before bringing her eyes to meet her friend's. "8 it is."

* * *

Olivia looked around her office, before turning off the light and locking the door. It was 7, and she needed to get home and change into something more comfortable before Stephen arrived. She took her white jacket off the coat hanger and put it on, before walking out of the front door of the office and locking it. She walked the short walk to the parking garage quickly—the evening air was cold against her face. As she unlocked her car door, her phone started ringing. She fished it out of her purse as she pulled open the door and got in. She saw that the number was blocked, and frowned.

"Pope," she answered as she began to stick the key in the ignition.

"Olivia."

Olivia froze with her hand on the key in the ignition. She heard the voice and knew the voice, but it didn't make sense. She shook her head in disbelief and remained silent.

"Livvie?" Fitz's warm voice whispered out her name in that desperate way that always drove Olivia crazy. He said her name as if she saved him—as if he revered her and worshipped her.

Olivia took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Fitz?" she said in the most composed voice she could muster. "What…why are you calling? You can't call me." Olivia felt like crying and laughing and screaming. She didn't know which one to do, so she didn't do any of them.

"Liv, I wouldn't call if it wasn't important. You know that. I mean, it's been _six months_."

He said six months as if it were a lifetime. Olivia closed her eyes and realized it had felt like a lifetime. She was fighting back the "I miss you" that wanted to fly out of her mouth.

"What do you need?" She said instead, her voice wavering, her hand still frozen around the key in the ignition.

"I can't talk about it over the phone, is it possible for you to be here in half an hour?" Fitz's voice was soft and warm, and Olivia felt herself melting. She looked over at the clock and 7:25 glared back at her.

"Umm, yes, I can. I mean, if it's important. I have plans with Stephen, but I will see if we can push them back until nine."

"Thank you. See you soon."

The phone went dead and Olivia just stared at it for a couple of minutes. Eventually she dialed Stephen's number and told him that she needed to push back their birthday celebration one hour. He sounded a bit suspicious on the phone, but she didn't give him the details. Once that was taken care of she took a deep breath, and pulled out of the garage.

* * *

Olivia walked into the Oval Office, trying her hardest to show no emotion. This was a business meeting, and she needed to be professional. It was part of her deal with Mellie that she no longer had secret romantic meetings with her husband, and Olivia was determined to hold up her side of the bargain. She looked around and realized that Fitz was nowhere to be seen.

"Mr. President?" She called out, taking a couple of cautious steps further into the room. Confused, she sat down on one of the couches to wait for Fitz to show up. Her phone rang, and she picked it up.

"Hello"

"Livvie, come up."

Olivia stopped breathing for a second. Why did he want her to meet him in the room above the Oval Office?

"Mr. President…" she started with a question in her voice.

"Just do it. I will explain when I see you."

"But…" Olivia was met with dial tone. Sighing in frustration, she got up, straightened her clothes, and made her way to the room she'd been to countless times. When she walked in it was dark, and she stopped to let her eyes adjust to the darkness. All of a sudden she saw a flicker of fire, and she tensed.

"Mr. President, are you in here?" Olivia squinted her eyes as she realized the flicker of fire was coming closer to her.

"Happy Birthday, Livvie," Fitz said with a smile in his voice. He was so close now, that Olivia could see his handsome face by the light of the candles on the slice of chocolate cake he was holding. Speechless, she just gave a slight shake of her head as her eyes moistened.

"Speechless, Livvie? That's not like you," Fitz said jokingly, his face lighting up with that smile she loved so much. Olivia had to close her eyes against all of the emotions and memories that were flooding over her. She allowed one memory through, though—the memory of them sitting outside in their spot, eating her favorite chocolate cake she brought for him from her favorite bakery. They shared the slice, and told each other about their days. When there was only one bite left, their eyes met, and Fitz smiled at her. She returned the smile, and he brought the fork up to her mouth and fed her the last piece. She stroked his cheek with the back of her hand as she chewed, and then he brought his face to hers and kissed her.

"Fitz," Olivia whispered, trying not to cry. "What is all of this?"

"For someone so brilliant, you're slow to catch on," Fitz teased. "Did you honestly think I would forget your birthday? Now blow out these candles before wax gets all over this delicious chocolate cake."

Olivia blew out the candles and then Fitz turned on a light. He sat down on the couch and patted the seat next to him. Olivia took a deep breath and went to sit next to him.

"Fitz, this is so sweet, but we can't." Olivia looked over at him, and met his eyes. His gray eyes were so full of love, not stormy like during the last encounter she had with him. Her eyes closed as she remembered that night.

"Livvie, we can't eat cake? I can't celebrate your birthday with you? Look, I know. I know it's been six long months. I know that we didn't part on good terms. And yes, I'm still a little pissed at you. But I am also grateful to you. I know you were only doing what you thought was right, and you saved my presidency. I just wish you had talked to me instead of ambushing me with Mellie. I wish…" He trailed off as he put the cake down on the table and reached out to push her hair off her forehead. "I just want to celebrate the birthday of the woman I love. You deserve it. And I…I needed to see you."

Olivia was still and silent for a minute, before reaching over to join her fingers with Fitz's. "Thank you," she said, her face lit up with a genuine smile. "Can we eat the cake now?"

Fitz laughed, and picked up the two forks and the cake from the table. He handed her a fork, and then turned his body on the couch so that he was sitting against the arm of the couch.

"Sit back against me and relax."

Olivia hesitated for a second before kicking off her heels and shrugging off her jacket. She scooted back until her back was against his chest. Fitz handed her the cake, and then buried his face into her hair before kissing her neck. Without even thinking about it, Olivia turned her head to meet his lips for a sweet kiss.

"I missed you, baby," she said, staring into his eyes before turning her head back towards the cake and putting a bite in her mouth. "And this is soooo good," she said with a full mouth. Fitz rubbed his hands up and down her arms before settling his arms around her torso.

"Happy birthday, sweet baby. I love you."


	2. Chapter 2

This isn't connected to the first chapter—I decided to do random moments. Thanks for reading!

* * *

Olivia pulled the covers tighter over her head when she heard the apartment door open and close and the footsteps coming towards her room. _I can't deal with Edison right now,_ she thought, her head pounding. She heard a bag rustle and drop, and felt the bed dip as someone sat on it. _Please, please, please go away. _Olivia tried to stay perfectly still and to breathe as quietly as possible, hoping he'd think she was asleep and decide not to disturb her. Her heart sank when she heard shoes fall to the ground and the sound of a jacket being removed and tossed onto her easy chair. _Great. _

When he climbed into bed with her and positioned himself directly behind her curled up body, she knew it wasn't Edison. When he wrapped his arms around her tightly and kissed her head, she was even surer it wasn't Edison. It was Fitz—he was leaner and longer than Edison, and it always felt so incredibly _right_ when he held her.

But it was the desperate, worried tone in his voice when he whispered "Livvie," that caused her body to shake with silent sobs. He took her fisted palm in his own and opened it, intertwining their fingers over her stomach.

"Livvie?" Fitz whispered again, sounding near tears himself. "Talk to me, Sweet Baby. Let's fix it—we can fix it." He buried his face in her neck and kissed her there repeatedly before resting his chin on her shoulder, waiting for her to calm down and talk to him.

Olivia's body continued to tremble with the force of her sobs, and she clenched Fitz's hand with all her might. "Fitz, you should hate me. I hate me. Please go away. You don't know me—what I've done. Please just leave. I deserve to be alone." Olivia's voice was low and eerie, but the conviction in her voice was unmistakable. She hadn't loosened her death grip on Fitz's hand though, so he just pulled her closer to his body, terrified for her, terrified that she'd force him to leave.

"Baby, please tell me what's wrong. I could never hate you—you are the love of my life. I am not leaving you. And you do not deserve to be alone. You deserve to be loved, adored, _worshipped." _Fitz paused to kiss his way down her clothed spine, hoping to accentuate his words with his actions. He felt her shiver and smiled against her back. "Do not marry Edison. I love you, Livvie. I will always love you. I just need you to wait for me. Wait for me, Olivia."

Olivia's sobs had calmed and her body was once again still, though silent tears continued to soak her pillow. She wanted to turn around and kiss him—to tell him that he was the love of her life and that no one could ever measure up to him. She wanted to tell him that she was his, that she would wait forever and a day for him. Her favorite line from Oscar Wilde's _The Importance of Being Earnest_ popped into her head: "If you are not too long, I will wait here for you all my life." She wanted to turn around and whisper this promise to him, but she couldn't. She didn't deserve him. She didn't deserve to wait for him. "I can't," she hissed around the lump in her throat. "You shouldn't want me to."

Fitz gently positioned Olivia's body so she'd be facing him. When he looked down at her perfect face, her eyes were shut. "Open your eyes, Liv. Please look at me." He stroked her hair and waited patiently for her to open her beautiful, doe eyes. When she did, his heart almost stopped with the pain of seeing how empty they were. "I need you to tell me what's wrong, Olivia. I need to know what's wrong so I can fix it."

"You can't fix it," she said, her empty eyes focused on his chest. "You can't fix me. I've been broken for a long time and now it's just too late. I've done too much wrong and I can't fix it. Nobody can. You'll hate me when you know everything. Then what? I'll have nothing left. It's better if you just let me go now, Fitz." She lifted her eyes for a second to meet his worried ones before averting her gaze again. She was so close to him that she could feel him breathing and could hear his heart beating steadily. She thought about how he had almost died—how his beautiful heart almost stopped beating forever. _That was all my fault. _Her body once again began to tremble with her sobs, and Fitz pulled her onto his chest immediately, letting her tears soak his shirt.

Fitz rubbed soothing circles into her back, genuinely bewildered. "Livvie, nothing you can say or do can make me leave," he said, his voice firm. "Nothing." She buried her face into his chest and kissed him over his heart repeatedly, whispering, "I'm so sorry" over and over again through her sobs. He continued to whisper affirmations of his love until she cried herself to sleep, her face tucked into the crook of his neck. Fitz sighed and rolled over on his side, cradling her close. He kissed her forehead before closing his eyes and drifting off into a fitful, worried sleep.

* * *

When he woke up a couple of hours later, Olivia's big brown eyes were staring straight into his own blue ones. "Fitz," she said as she traced his features with her fingers, willing herself to memorize every detail. He caught her hand in his own and kissed it, before leaning in to kiss her forehead, then her cheeks, then her lips. She whimpered as he breathed life into her, as he showed her his love.

"I'm so sorry, Fitz," she said in between kisses.

"Shhh, Livvie. You have nothing to be sorry for. I don't know what you're so upset about, but I can promise you that nothing ever will make me stop loving you. It's impossible." He buried his head in her chest and nuzzled as she moved her hand to rest in his beautiful curls.

"I am not going to marry Edison," she whispered as she stroked his hair.

Fitz peered up at her and graced her with a small smile. "So you'll wait for me? I can give you a house in the country one day. And I would love to make babies with you to fill all the rooms. I dream about a little girl who looks just like you, baby. I can give you some normal, Livvie. But not so much that you'll go crazy. I can give you what you need if you just wait for me. Whatever's wrong, we'll figure it out together."

Olivia met his eyes and saw all the love and adoration and was completely overwhelmed. She saw a little girl with a caramel complexion and beautiful ringlets and the image made her breath catch in her throat. She thought about all of the darkness that was plaguing her, and tried to push it away for the moment. Maybe she could be happy and normal with Fitz. Maybe one day everything would be okay. Maybe they truly belonged together.

"Okay," she said, still stroking his hair. "I'll wait for you."

Fitz's head popped up and the biggest grin was plastered on his face. Olivia couldn't help but smile in return right before his lips captured hers in a passionate kiss full of promises.

"I love that smile," Fitz murmured against her lips before pulling away and sitting up. Olivia pouted at the sudden separation, watching him as he hopped out of the bed and crossed the room to pick up the bag he had abandoned earlier.

"What's that?" Olivia asked as he made his way back over to her, kneeling beside her side of the bed.

"Olivia Carolyn Pope," Fitz began with a mischievous gleam in his eye. "Will you…make jam with me?" He pulled a book titled _How to Make Jam_ out of the bag as his smile widened. Olivia's laugh rang out as Fitz climbed back into bed and pulled her close. Fitz decided he had never heard a more beautiful sound.


End file.
